Iron County register., 1887-04-21
MARTYRS DAY.

SSsSAn - -
| The Final Disposition of the Remains OF
Mr. and Mrs. Lincoln, Guarded so Long
and Faithfully BY the Lincoln Guard OF
Honor-Anniversary Exercises at ths
State House.
SPRINGFIELD, Ill, April 15.-The re.
mains of the late President Lincoln and
Mrs. Lincoln were removed, opened and
| identified yesterday, and turned over ts
the Monument Association by the Lincoln
Guard of Honor. On the night of Novem-
ber 2, 1876, Mullin and Hughes, two Chi
cago thieves made an unsuccessful at
tempt to steal the BODY of the
late President Lincoln. The marble
sarcophagus, in which it was inclosed,
and which was exposed to view OF visitors
through the iron grating on the north side
Of the monument, was forced open and
the coffin was taken out, but at this point
the robbers were interfered with by GER
tain persons secreted in the monument,
who had received information that the
robbery was to be attempted. Since that
time the public mind has been in state
of uncertainty as to the real resting-pl
of the martyrs body, report having gone
out that it was not returned to the sarco-
phagus after the attempted robbery. All
the mystery that has attached to
the matter is now cleared away. 1t
appears that the body was replaced in
the sarcophagus, and remained there Tor
about week. The members OF the asso-
citation, however, felt that it was insecure,
and it was subsequently removed to a
place of greater safety. Originally the
Lincoln guard of honor, which is composed
of some of the best known and most high.
ly respected citizens of Springfield, was
organized, and one of the duties OF this
association has been to sacredly guard the
body of the dead President. During the
month of November. 1878. the members OF
the guard with their own hands pre-
pared vault within the monument for
the body. An excavation was made in the
earth about thirty feet south OF
the sarcophagus, and the body
was safely deposited therein and
the mouth of the excavation closed. The
atmosphere at the point where the exca-
walton was made was almost sitting, and
the work was prosecuted at different
times during the still hours Of the night,
with no human eye to witness it, save
those who were assisting in the labor or
love-
Two days after the funeral Of Mrs. Lin
coin in July, 1882 her body was taken by
the guard and laid beside her husband.
The members bound themselves by the
solemnitv Of an oath not to reveal what
had been done until the proper time, and
that time has now arrived.
Yesterday both of the bodies were taken
by the Lincoln Guard of Honor, in the
presence of the Monument Association,
and placed in a new receptacle prepared
for them during the week. This recep-
tacle is in the earth, near where the sar-
cophagus has so long stood. 1t has ON the
bottom twelve inches Of cement, and has
double walls of brick. The entrance to
it, now that the bodies have been placed
in their final resting place, is cemented
over, and this will in time become as solid
as rock.
After this work had been completed,
the bodies were formally turned over by
the guard to the Monument Association,
and accepted by it.
Before being finally entombed, the coffin
of Lincoln was opened and the body iden-
titled. The hair and beard have all fallen
off and the face is discolored, but the con-
tour is still perfect and the face is said to
strongly resemble that of the bronze
statue in the monument.
SPRINGFIELD, April 15-This being the
twenty-second anniversary of the death
of Abraham Lincoln, memorial exercises
under the auspices Of the Lincoln Guard
of Honor were held at two o'clock this
afternoon in the hall of the House of Rep
resentatives. After prayer by Rev. DR..
McElroy and singing by local quartette
the opening address was delivered by the
Rt. Rev. George Fox Seymour, Bishop Of
the diocese of Springfield. Mrs. Majores
johnson gave recitation, which was fol-
lowed by solo entitled "The Tear" by
Mrs. Huntington Henkle. Then an ad-
dress was delivered by Hon. W. 81. Col
Inns, Of Quincy, the theme being the life
and character of the great emancipation,
which was ably and eloquently han.
died.
Hon. Clinton L. Conkling, member Of
the Lincoln Guard of Honor, recited the
oft-repeated story of the attempt made
by vandals in 1876 to steal and spirit away
the remains of Lincoln, and how the re-
mains were removed to o secret place to
provide against any further attempt OF the
kind
The duet "Abide With Me-" by Mrs.
Henkle and Mr.. Frank Jones, members of
a city church choir, was rendered, after
which the benediction was pronou nced
by Rev. D. 8. johnson, pastor of the Sec
ond Presbyterian Church.
The hall was crowded, the House, in
honor Of the event, having adjourned
over.
For some unaccountable reason, the
work Of moving the remains from where
they have remained since 1875 and placing
them in vault ON the north side under
five or six feet of cement and solid rock,
was sought to be kept secret. This from
the fact that for years the public had been
led to believe they were in the marble
sarcophagus to be seen at all
times through their iron grating.
Thousands Of people in this and other
parts of the country were advised to the
contrary. This marble sarcophagus has
been placed Immediately above the mass
of cement and rock covering the remains.
This is done to convey the impression
that the remains are therein.